What does one (as an SEP customer)
need an FAA 145 shop for?
The rules for N-register transponder checks in non-US airspace aren’t known to me, but I need a repair station for that and for instrument overhauls (which could be sent back and forth through the mail)
OK, but I thought what required for these checks was an FAA instrument repair station.
I’v now looked it up and it seems that FAR145 refers to repair stations in general:
FAA Certified Repair Station Certification Definition
FAA Certified Repair Station Image The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines the rules governing all aviation activities in the United States; Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 145 deals with the rules a certified repair station must follow. Companies wishing to become certified repair stations need to follow the rules related to maintenance, preventative maintenance or alterations listed in FAR 145.
FAA repair station certification is for organizations that inspect, repair, replace or overhaul aviation articles including airframes, propellers and radios among others. FAA requires that air carriers and their contractors fully comply with federal regulations.
An organization wishing to become certified as an FAA repair station must complete a pre-application, a formal application, document compliance, demonstration and inspection. Once the organization meets the regulatory requirements, the FAA certification team will issue the repair station certificate and operations specifications with the appropriate ratings
So, for “normal” maintenance, includings annuals, etc., an owner does nobviously not need an “FAA 145 shop”. Needed only if one wants to get items overhauled by them.
So, for “normal” maintenance, includings annuals, etc., an owner does nobviously not need an “FAA 145 shop”.
That’s correct. My planes have not been near a Part 145 Repair Staton, or any maintenance facility since I’ve owned them. My 24 month transponder check gets done by an A&P operating under Repair Station authority. Annual inspections are likewise done by an A&P IA mechanic in my hangar or his, depending mainly on the tools we need. General maintenance is performed or supervised by the same IA or other A&Ps at my direction. Part 145 Repair stations are not a resource typically used to maintain N-register light aircraft like mine.
My 24 month transponder check gets done by an A&P operating under Repair Station authority
I wonder how that works. I have a vague recollection we have done this before… all one can get in the UK is a guy from a FAA 145 company driving over to your hangar and doing the 2-yearly altimeter etc test there. There is no way to avoid the 145 company requirement for that. The cost including travel used to be about GBP 400 – that was IAE at Cranfield.
I wonder how that works. I have a vague recollection we have done this before… all one can get in the UK is a guy from a FAA 145 company driving over to your hangar and doing the 2-yearly altimeter etc test there. There is no way to avoid the 145 company requirement for that. The cost including travel used to be about GBP 400 – that was IAE at Cranfield.
An A&P friend borrows the equipment from the Part 145 shop where once worked. He now works in engineering for a UAV company but maintains his contacts. The transponder check is billed by the 145 shop directly to me ($100) the following week – which is incidentally the only maintenance related invoice I ever get, and the only non-cash payment. I’m not sure if my friend bothers to collect his payment from the 145 shop, he likes to have them owe him next time he needs a piece of equipment for a different sideline job that pays something measurable…. like for instance the complete panel he’s finishing up on another friend’s Lancair IV (I referred him for the job).
What goes around comes around.
I wonder if anyone has any reference for the original question i.e. FAA acceptance of the EASA-1 form?
It is widely used in the industry. The FAA accepts both 8130-3 (where required; in most cases it isn’t in Part 91 GA) or the EASA-1, equivalently.
Many thanks for that link, @NeumannJ
I see two issues.
It’s not clear that used parts are OK with this. OTOH it doesn’t say they are not, so they must be.
It appears to require a statement on the EASA-1 form that some sort of bilateral treaty is involved. These treaties can be found here. But if you just bought an item in say the UK the EASA-1 form isn’t going to say anything about that.
However the curious thing is that neither an 8130-3 nor any other form is actually required to install a part on an N-reg anyway! We have had various threads on this – example.
